Machine-release control mechanism



y 1953 M. A. GOODBAR rpm. 2,845,022

MACHINE-RELEASE CONTROL MECHANISMFOR CASH REGISTERS Original Filed March 22, 1952 I I \Illlll I INVENTORS MAYO A. GOODBAR 8 RU SELL e. PRATT BY g, 'ZJW.

THEIR ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofilice MACHINE-RELEASE CONTROL IVIECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS Mayo A. Goodbar and Russell G. Pratt, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to The National Cash Register'Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Original application March 22, 1952, Serial No. 278,063,

now Patent No. 2,730,038, dated January 10, 1956. Divided and this application June 22, 1955, Serial No. 517,322

4 Claims. (Cl. 101288) The present invention relates to the record material supply mechanism for cash registers and analogous machines, and more particularly to the type of machine shown in the co-pending application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 278,063, filed March 22, 1952,

of which this is a division, said application now United States Patent No. 2,730,038, issued January 10, 1956, to Mayo A. Goodbar and Russell G. Pratt, inventors.

An object of the present invention is to provide mechanism for automatically locking the machine against operation when its supply of record material nears exhaustion.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sensing mechanism engageable with the supply roll of label or receipt material and an operating means connected thereto and responsive to the position thereof for selectively blocking machine-releasing movement of the clutch control lever.

Another object is the provision of an interlock between the receipt or label supply roll and the machinereleasing mechanism.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary detail view, as observed from the right of the machine, showing in particular the machine-releasing mechanism, the supply roll of label material, and mechanism coacting with the periphery of said supply roll to automatically lock the machine against operation when the supply of label material is nearly exhausted.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the clutch control lever, shown also in Fig. 1, and a portion of the mechanism associated therewith for obstructing machine-releasing movement of said control lever when the supply of label material is substantially exhausted.

General description In its present embodiment, the invention is applied to a machine constructed to print and issue gummed labels which are to be attached to or placed within prepackaged commodities such as packages of meats, cheeses, etc., said labels being used principally for identifying the contents, the weight, the price per pound, and the total price of such packages. However, it will be readily seen that this is but one of many possible uses bodiment, it is contemplated that weight keys and price or amount keys will be included. When the proper weight and amount keys have been depressed to set up the Weight in pounds and ounces and the price in dollars and cents of the package to be labeled, the starting bar 35 is depressed to release the machine for operation. The data set up by the depressed keys is printed upon a label which has been fed from a supply roll 46 into position opposite the printing mechanism. The label is then severed from the roll and ejected from the machine, ready for use.

The present invention is particularly directed to mechanism for automatically locking the machine against operation when the supply of label material nears exhaustion, to inform the operator of this fact, so that delay and inconvenience caused by unexpected running-out of Machine-releasing and non-repeat mechanism After the proper keys have been depressed, machine operation is initiated by depression of the starting bar 35. The starting bar 35 is removably connected to a starting bar slide 65, mounted for angular shifting movement by means of slots therein, in cooperation with studs 66 in the right frame 31. bar 35 moves the slide 65 downwardly, causing a stud 67 therein, in cooperation with the upper surface of a lever 68 pivoted on a stud 69 secured in the right frame 31, to rock said lever clockwise against the action ofa spring 70. Clockwise movement of the lever 68 moves a shoulder on its upper portion from beneath a bent-over car 71 on a machine release pitman 72 mounted for vertical shifting movement by means of a slot in its upper end, in cooperation with the stud 69, and by means of'a similar slot in its lower end, in cooperation with a stud 80 secured in the right frame 31.

A right-angle extension on the lower end of the pitman 72 carries a stud 74, which engages a slot in the end of a crank 75 secured to a hub of a clutch control lever 76 free on a stud 77 supported by two ears bent outwardly from the frame 31. A spring (not shown) urges the clutch control lever 76 counter-clockwise to shift the pitman 72 downwardly the instant the shoulder of the lever 68 is disengaged from the ear 71. Counterclockwise movement of the clutch control lever 76 per- .mits the clutch mechanism, which connects the operat- .Which closes the electrical circuit to said operating motor to cause the machine to operate.

Patented July 29, 1958 Depression of the starting A complete operation of the machine requires one counter-clockwise revolution of'the main cam shaft (not shown), and, after said shaft has completed this counterclockwise revolution, the clutch control lever 76 is restored clockwise in the well-known manner, as fully disclosed in the Robertson Patent No. 2,056,486. The clutch lever 76, upon being restored, disengages the clutch mechanism and opens the electrical circuit to the operating motor to terminate machine operation. Restoration of theclutch control lever 7 6 restores the release pitman 72 upwardly and during, such movement, the ear 71 moves a slight distance above or beyond, the stopshoulder on thelever 68,, whereupon the spring 70. restores said. lever counter-clockwise into the path. of said ear to.-

pawl clockwise to. normally maintain its innersurface in.

engagement with an car 84, bent inwardly from the pitman 72. When the starting bar 35 isidepressed, clockwisemovement of the lever 68, through the spring 83,

carries, the pawl 82 clockwise in unison, therewith, until.

the, upper end of said pawl, which is slightly longer than the shoulder on the lever 68, stops against. the for ward edge of the ear 71. It is therefore evident: that, upon normal operation of the machine, the non-repeat pawl 82 does not in any way'interfere with the downward releasing movement of the pitman 72.

Near the end. of machine operation, the pitman 72:

is over-restored, upwardly far enough to move the lower edge of the car 71 beyond the end of the non-repeatpawl 82, and, in case. the starting bar 35 and the lever- 68 are retained in depressed position at the end of' machine operation, the spring 83. immediately moves said non-repeat pawl} 82 into the path of said ear. 71 to.obstruct downward releasing movement of the pitman 72- and thereby prevent an unintentional repeat operation of the machine. The spring 70 is sufficiently strong to restore the lever 68 counter-clockwise and said starting bar; upwardly to normal: positions when pressure is removed from the starting. bar 35. Counter-clockwise restoring'movement of the lever 68 causes the ear- 84 to engage the pawl 82 and rock said pawl counter-clockwise in unison therewith from beneath the ear 71, at which time the shoulder on said lever 68', which is slightly shorterthan said pawl 82, passes beneath said ear to retain the pitman 72 in its upward, or restored, position.

Interlock between label supply roll and machine-releasing mechanism Mechanism coacting with the supply roll of labeLmaterial 46 is provided for automatically locking the machine against operation when the supply of label material nears exhaustion, to inform the operator of this fact, so that the delay and inconvenience caused by unexpectedly runningout of label material will be eliminated.

The supply of label material 46 is. contained in a comparatively large roll. wound onto a core 267, composed of compressed paper or wood and having acentral bore which is a slip-fit on the circumference of a sleeve 268 rotatably supported on a stud 269 secured in the printer plate 33. Diametrically-opposed teeth (not shown), protruding from the circumference of the sleeve 268, out their wayv into the bore in the core 267 as the supply roll' is pushed onto said sleeve, to anchor said parts for unitary rotation. A spring (not shown), wound around the stud 269. and coacting with an enlarged portion of thebore in thesleeve 268, creates frictional drag between said. stud and said sleeve to preventover-running of the supply '4 roll 46 when the label material is unwound therefrom. A large disc 270, freely supported by the stud' 269, between the outer face of the plate 33 and the inner end of the sleeve 268, coacts with the inner surface of the supply roll 46 to provide essential support therefor.

The periphery of the supply roll 46 is yieldingly engaged by a sensing roller 271 rotatably mounted on a stud 272 in the lower end of a sensing arm 273 fixedly connected to a companion bell crank 275 by a sleeve 274 rotatably supported by a stud 276 fast in a bracket 277 secure-cl to the plate 33; A spring 278, one end of which is fixed and the other end of which is connected to the downward extension of the bell crank 275, urges said bell crank and the arm 273 counter-clockwise to normally maintain the roller 271 in yielding contact with the periphery of the supply roll 46. An inwardly-extending arm of the bell. crank 275 is pivotally connected by a link 279 to the lower arm of a lever 280 free on a stud 281. secured in the frame 31. The upward arm of' the lever 280 carries a stud 282, which coacts with a control surface 283' on a control arm 284 fixedly connected by a hub 285 to a companion lever 286, said hub being turnably supported by a stud 287' secured in the frame 31. An extension of the control surface 283 is formed by a portion of a pawl 288. freely mounted on a studio the arm 284. A spring 289 urges the pawl 288 countefi clockwise, (Fig. l) to normally maintain a finishedsun face on, an upward extension of said pawl in contact with a stop stud 29.0 in the arm 284.

As the supply of label material 46 dirninishesandthodiameter of'the supply roll decreases, the periphery of said supply roll, coacting with the roller 271, permitsthespring 278 to gradually move the arm 273 and the bell crank, 275 counter-clockwise, which movement, throughthelink 279; moves the lever: 280 clockwise-in unison therewith.

Clockwise movement of the lever 280 causes the stud 282 to ride downwardly on the control surface 283 and finally onto the extension of said control surface formed by the pawl 288. When the supply of label material 46 is practically exhausted, the stud 282 rides ofli of a sharp shoulder 291, formed by the extension of the control surface; 28,3 on the pawl 288, thus releasing the arm 284 and the lever 286 to the action of a spring 292, which immediately rocks said parts clockwise until a stopsurface; 293. on said. arm 284 contacts the stud 282 to terminate such. clockwise movement. Clockwise move ment ofthe lever 286 moves an ear 294, formed on theinnerextension thereof, into the path of an undercut surface 295 (Figure 2) on the clutch control lever 76 to obstruct counter-clockwise releasing movement of said lever and thereby prevent operation of the machine after the supply of label material has become substantially exhausted.

For the purpose of removing the core 267 from the sleeve 268* and the installation of a new supply roll 46 thereon, the arm 273 may be manually moved to an outward, ineffective position, indicated by the dot-anddash lines for the roller 271 in Fig. 1, during which move.- ment the lever 280 is restored counterclockwise, the stud' 282, by-passing. the shoulder 291, formed on the pawl 288, and riding over an inclined surface formed between the stop surface 293 and the control surface 283 on the arm 284. As the arm 273 is moved to its extreme clock wise position, the stud 282 rides off of the surface 283 and into a depression, thus permitting the spring 292 to again rock the lever 286 and the arm 284 clockwise to move the car; 294 again into the path oof the surface 295. to obstruct releasing movement of the clutch control, lever 76. The shoulder formed by the depression at the inner termination of the control surface 283, coacting with the stud 282, holds the lever 280 and the arm 273 in their ineffective positions against the action supply roll 46 may be readily removed from the sleeve 268 and a new supply roll mounted thereon, without any interference from said arm 273 and the roller 271. Secured on the upper end of the lever 286 is a plate 296 having an upward extension, which coacts with the inner surface of the printer plate 33 to maintain proper sidespacing relationship between said lever 286 and said frame.

A rearward or right-hand extension 297 of the lever 286 forms a convenient finger piece, by means of which said lever may be rocked counter-clockwise, against the action of the spring 292, to disengage the shoulder formed by the depression at the inner termination of the control surface 283 from the stud 282 to release the lever 280 and the arm 273 to the action of the spring 278, which immediately restores said arm counter-clockwise to move the roller 271 into yielding contact with the periphery of the new supply roll of label material 46. This restoration of the arm 273 positions the lever 280 as shown in Fig. 1, so that the stud 282, in cooperation with the control surface 283, retains the ear 294 out of the path of the surface 295 (see also Fig. 2), so as not to interfere with normal operation of the machine.

From the supply roll 46, the web of the label material is directed upwardly, as shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1, through the usual lower guide chute, between the serrated feed rails of the cylinder mechanism and the rubber pressure roller, which coacts with said rails to feed said web upwardly past the knife mechanism, thence to the printing station, and finally into coacting relationship with a label-ejecting mechanism, which ejects the upwardly-disposed edge of the label out of an upper chute. A light spring finger, located in the upper paper chute, grips the completed label sufficiently to prevent it from being fully ejected from said chute and holds said label in a convenient position, where it is conveniently accessible for removal by the operator. The above structure is disclosed in the parent application and in the previously-mentioned Robertson patents.

While the form of mechanism shown and described herein is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form or embodiment disclosed herein, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, constructed and arranged to perform operations in which record materials such as labels and receipts are printed and issued, said machine having a supply roll of record material, the combination of sensing means maintained in yielding engagement with the periphery of the supply roll to sense the outside diameter thereof; a lever operatively connected to the sensing means and movable in unison therewith; means including a clutch control element movable in one direction to initiate operation of the machine; obstructing means movable into the path of the clutch control element to obstruct its movement in said one direction; spring means for moving the obstructing means into an obstructing position; a control surface on the obstructing means terminating at one end in a shoulder; and a projection on the lever coacting with the control surface as long as the outside diameter of the supply roll is greater than a permissible minimum to retain said ohstructing means against movement into the path of the clutch control element, said sensing means operating to cause said lever to move the projection past said shoulder when the outside diameter of the supply roll decreases be- -low the permissible minimum to free the obstructing means for movement under the influence of said spring means into the path of the clutch control element to prevent machine operation and thus serve as a warming that the supply of record material is nearing exhaustion.

2. In a machine of the class described, constructed and arranged to perform operations in which record materials such as labels and receipts are printed and issued, the combination of a supply roll of record material; spring-actuated sensing means to continually ride against the periphery of the supply roll as the record material is unwound therefrom; control means including a lever operatively connected to the sensing means and movable in unison therewith; means comprising a movable element to initiate machine operation; means movable by spring action into the path of the element to obstruct movement thereof; a control surface on the obstructing means; a projection on the lever coacting with the control surface to retain the obstructing means against movement into the path of the element as long as the diameter of the supply roll is greater than a permissible minimum, said control means eflective when the diameter of the supply roll decreases below said permissible minimum to free the obstructing means for movement into the path of the element to prevent machine operation and thus serve as a reminder that the record material is nearly exhausted; and a depression on the obstructing means adjacent the control surface coacting with the projection when the sensing means is moved to an ineffective position to hold said sensing means in said ineffective position and to free the obstructing means for movement into the path of the element to prevent machine operation.

3. In a machine of the class described, constructed and arranged to perform operations in which record materials such as labels and receipts are printed and issued, the combination of a supply roll of record material; spring-actuated sensing means to continually ride against the periphery of the supply roll as the record material is unwound therefrom; control means including a lever operatively connected to the sensing means and movable in unison therewith; means comprising a movable element to initiate machine operation; means movable by spring action into the path of the element to obstruct movement thereof; a control surface on the obstructing means; a pawl mounted on the obstructing means, a portion of said pawl forming a continuation of said control surface when the pawl is in normal position and terminating in a shoulder; a spring urging the pawl into normal position; and a projection on the lever coacting with the control surface to retain the obstructing means against movement into the path of the element so long as the diameter of the supply roll is greater than a permissible minimum, said projection constructed and arranged to move over said shoulder on said pawl when the outside diameter of the supply roll approximates the permissible minimum to free the obstructing means for movement into the path of the element to prevent machine operation and thereby serve as a warming that the record material is substantially exhausted, said pawl being shiftable out of its normal position upon retrograde movement of said projection during resetting of the sensing means.

4. In a machine of the class described, constructed and arranged to perform operations in which record materials such as labels and receipts are printed and issued, said machine having a supply roll of record material, the combination of sensing means maintained in yielding engagement with the periphery of the supply roll to sense the outside diameter thereof; a member operatively connected to the sensing means and movable in unison therewith; a projection on the member; means including a clutch control lever movable in one direction to initiate operation of the machine; obstructing means movable by spring action into the path of the clutch control lever to obstruct its movement in said one direction; a control surface on the obstructing means having a depressed portion and a substantially straight portion; and a spring-urged pawl mounted on the obstructing means, an edge of said pawl'forming a continuation of the substantially straight portion of the control surface when the pawl is in normal position and terminat- 7 8 ing in a shoulder, the depressed portion of the control References Cited-in the file of this patent surface being arranged to coact with said projection to UNITED STATES PATENTS retain the sensing means in ineffective position, the substantially straight portion of the control surface being 232 2 i2 engageable by the projection so long as the outside 5 11378887 Martin 1921 diameter of the supply roll is greater than a permissible Beadle Apr. 1922 minimum to retain said obstructing means against move- 1:829:286 Long Oct. 1931 mentinto the path of the clutch control lever said pro- 1,905,659 Thomson Apr. 25, 1933 1ect1on constructed and arranged to move over sand 10 19,89,531 vSimon Jan. 29 1935 shoulder on 881d pawl when the outside d1ameter of the 2,456,977 Weiss APR 12, 1949 supply roll approximates the permissible minimum to 2 53 7 Owens Feb 51952 free the obstructing means for movement into the path 2,547,457 'Spargo Aug 4, 95

of the clutch control lever to prevent machine operation. 2,655,863 Hofer Oct. 20, 1953 

